Many people only see the drawbacks of being a long distance trucker. Drawbacks such as being away from family and constant travel are what are thought of more often than not. However, being a long distance trucker has quite a few benefits, as well. Below are the top five benefits of being a long distance trucker.

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1. Constantly Changing Scenery

As a long distance trucker, you get to see new places—driving across the United States is part of the job. While a trucker typically has a deadline when hauling cargo, that does not mean there is no down time. You can use that down time to visit places that people with typical jobs may never get to see, and you can even schedule jobs that will take you to locales you’ve been hoping to visit.

2. Flexible Scheduling

The work schedule for truckers is certainly not typical, which has great advantages. It’s easier to schedule a vacation or take time off for family responsibilities because you can schedule jobs on your own terms. One common misperception about a career in trucking is that you have to work very long hours. However, by law you cannot be required to drive more than 60 hours per week, which is quite reasonable.

3. More Job security than a Typical Job

In a down economy, finding a secure job can be difficult, but truck drivers are always in demand. Without truck drivers hauling cargo, businesses and companies would fail. People can find secure and stable employment in the trucking industry for many years.

4. Benefits

Most trucking companies offer drivers competitive benefits packages. Many jobs in today’s economy do not offer any sort of benefits package, but you can expect medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as 401K options, disability, vacation, sick days, and much more.

5. High Pay and Opportunity for Advancement

Long haul trucking can be a very lucrative career. On average, long distance truckers make over $16 per hour and can make up to $24 per hour, with only a small amount of training. You can also receive bonuses for certain jobs.There is always room for advancement and pay raises are often given to safe truckers, as well as truckers who perform well.

Being a long distance trucker is not a conventional job. However, for many truckers, the benefits of the job outweigh the drawbacks. While working in an office may seem ideal to certain people. Truckers often have more job security, as well as better benefits and pay than a person who works a regular 9 to 5 job.

Casey Stevens owns his own landscape business and writes for truckertotrucker.com, a site where you can find everything from a great semi truck deal or even decide to buy used volvo parts.